‘Made In The USA’ theme announces job creation and growth with its first central impression flexo printing press; a second to be installed this fall 

In late July 2015, Impact Innovations Inc. held its first open house at its facility in Memphis, TN with the theme “Made In The USA” to dedicate its newest press—a KBA-Flexotecnica EVO XG ten-color flexo press. Key suppliers and city officials participated in tours of its manufacturing facility, including the new KBA-Flexotecnica press and the converting lines, as well as its showroom, and learned how the firm is bringing jobs and work back to the U.S. from Asia, where its gift wrapping paper used to be produced.

“This was a very special open house for our company,” says John Dammermann, president of Impact Innovations. “We are so proud to be creating new jobs here at our facility as we bring our work back to the U.S. with the installation of our first new presses. This is an exciting time for Impact Innovations. We’re adding new equipment and investing in our company and our employees. Our message is simply put: ‘Made in the USA’. We’ve successfully brought back our high-end gift wrapping paper to be printed and produced here rather than overseas in China.”

The firm’s first KBA-Flexotecnica was installed in July. Memphis employees surprised Dammermann and his family the day before the open house with an official unveiling of the name of the press with a plaque dedicated to honor Impact’s founder, Harold “Curly” Dammermann. The firm’s second KBA-Flexotecnica press will arrive from Italy later this year. 

Visitors to the Impact Innovations open house were treated to tours by employees wearing custom-made blue t-shirts emblazoned with the words: “Creating New Jobs One Press At A Time.” Tours of the facility ran from 9 a.m. to noon, in which the new KBA-Flexotecnica press produced new brightly-colored holographic and prismatic gift wrapping paper for the upcoming holiday season to be sold by major mass retailers. At the end of the tour, visitors met with Dammermann and his team in the firm’s display room where samples of high-end gift wrapping papers were displayed along with fruit and cookies iced with American flags and Made InThe USA lettering.

KBA-Flexotecnica is known worldwide for the production of its EVO XG central impression, sleeve, gearless series flexographic printing presses available in line speeds of up to 600 mpm. The EVO XG has a width range up to 63 inches. Print quality is enhanced by its state-of-the-art video register and defect protection systems. 

“We wanted to show-off all of our capabilities at our beautiful facility,” says Dammermann. “We’re proud of our decision to invest in KBA-Flexotecnica presses; they are known world-wide for featuring superior, gearless, sleeved, central impression flexographic printing presses. We’re excited to be operating two of these fine presses here in Memphis.” 

Steve Korn, KBA director of national and key accounts, also noted: “We are thrilled about the two new KBA FlexoTecnica press investments made by Impact Innovations for its Memphis location. This was the culmination of a considerable amount of hard work behind the scenes between both firms and is just the beginning of a much broader program that John Dammermann and his team are executing to onshore their printing volume.  We at KBA are most appreciative of the strong partnership that we’ve forged together with Impact Innovations as we worked hand in hand on this keystone project.”

Korn continued: “We applaud John and his entire Impact Innovations team on what they’ve accomplished in bringing jobs back to the great United States of America and we can only hope this sets the example for other US firms to follow.  We are confident that these two new KBA-Flexotecnica presses will more than satisfy Impact Innovations existing capacity needs and even more importantly fuel future growth with its existing and future clients for many years to come.”

Impact Innovations, Inc. was founded in 1968 in Clara City, Minnesota. Today, Impact Innovations has two arms to its business: seasonal and commercial. Its seasonal business is comprised of décor, paper and fabric products, where Impact has become a premier trendsetter in the seasonal industry. Its expertise in design and produ